Α young man arrived on a mission field. The tribal chief and all the people of the village gathered to welcome him, asking him to say a few words. Since he did not yet know the language, he required the translating skills of the veteran missionary to help him communicate his message. He was fresh out of seminary, bursting with self-confidence, and eager to share his knowledge about God. He began, “We must always remember that there is an infinite and qualitative difference between the eternal gospel and all the historical manifestations of it under the contingencies of human existence.” The older missionary stood there, somewhat dumbfounded, as the smiling young man waited for him to translate. Finally, the wise older man turned to the people and said, “Friends, he says he loves you and he’s glad to be here!”
Would we, like our young missionary friend, require a translator to make clear what should be the salient points of gospel messages we tried to give? While many other truths may be valuable to stress, surely these are the vital things to keep before our audiences:
- That we are sinners in need of an almighty Savior
- That God sent His Son to deliver us from our sins by His death on the cross
- That salvation is through repentance and faith in Christ
- That to reject the Savior will mean perishing forever
All our knowledge of the truth will not benefit an audience if we are unable to communicate it in a way that our listeners can grasp. The first-century gift of tongues required an interpreter lest the speaker be considered a barbarian. To avoid such an unflattering description today, we need to remember that clarity is crucial. How, then, can I accomplish the necessary task of preaching the gospel in a clear and comprehensible manner? Here are a few suggestions, not presented as though the writer had mastered this, but as a goal for which we all should strive.
Grasp the Gospel’s Terminology
First, I must understand the gospel itself. That involves understanding the terms the Bible uses – words such as redemption, justification, propitiation, salvation, regeneration – to convey this most vital of messages. If I wish to be understood, I first must understand. It is impossible to communicate something clearly and simply if I do not comprehend it myself. Consider Apollos: however eloquent his oratory and passionate his preaching before he fully understood the truth, the results afterward were remarkable. Acts 18:28 records, “He mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (KJV). This is why Stephen Covey wrote, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
Consider the Congregation’s Familiarity
Would it not be strange to harangue our hearers about the dangers of constantly rejecting the gospel when that particular audience never heard the message before? Then again, the confusion that clouds the mind of a religious church-goer is likely different from that of a daughter or son of believers. To the truth-seeking treasurer from Ethiopia, Philip simply “preached Jesus.” Compare that to Peter’s messages in the early chapters of Acts, as he spoke to those who had rejected the Savior and to those who had condemned the Lord Jesus to death. Then notice the different tenor of his message when he later preached to the Roman centurion Cornelius and his household (Act 10). Ecclesiastes 12 records that the preacher sought to find out acceptable words (v10). He did this by giving “good heed,” seeking out and setting things in order (v9). The result was (v11) that his words were as goads (urging, motivating) and as nails (establishing, maintaining). By way of contrast, consider the confusion in these words from an article in The Winston-Salem Journal: “An attacker shot and killed a Spanish newspaper executive seven times yesterday.” Bad enough to be shot, but to be killed seven times is horrible! Be sure to search for acceptable words, give good heed, and, by all means, be orderly in your statements and delivery.
Appraise the Audience’s Inability
Very few people remember a sermon’s finely-tuned outline or follow our rabbit warren of endless alliterative points. Research at the University of Minnesota revealed that in listening to a 10-minute talk, hearers operate at only a 28% efficiency. And the longer the talk, the less the comprehension. Read the discourses of the Lord Jesus and you will be amazed at His consummate ability to engage His audience, to draw listeners into the subject, to capture and hold their attention and interest. The varied styles of communication He employed, the powerful biblical references He utilized, the simple (yet profoundly picturesque) illustrations He mobilized to convey truth – all remind me of the ancient proverb, “He is the best orator who can turn men’s ears into eyes.” This is, perhaps, all the more important today when most of the people to whom we preach have reversed this, hearing things with their eyes and thinking with their emotions.
(If Possible) Transmit the Truth with Brevity
Years ago I read these two memorable lines: “Preach about Jesus and about twenty minutes. A sermon does not need to be eternal to be immortal.” (The first sentence in that quote is a clever example of zeugma; forgetting the second should be anathema). It is remarkable how compact and concise some of the Bible’s most memorable gospel statements are: Repent ye and believe the gospel; Flee from the wrath to come; I will pass over you; Prepare to meet thy God; Be sure your sin will find you out; Ye must be born again; Christ has made us free; Salvation is of the Lord. In fact, a whole gospel series could be based on just the Bible’s 5-word texts!
If we wish to avoid the Circumlocution Office made famous by Charles Dickens, we should endeavor to understand the truth and should study to communicate it in God-given words (Isa 59:21), taught to us by the Holy Spirit (1Co 2:13). Sir Winston Churchill termed the vocabulary of the English language “bullets that become ammunition.” How much more potent and powerful those “bullets” are when they come from God and are about His Son. What a joy it is to listen to the glorious gospel being preached by someone who believes it thoroughly, understands it competently, loves it fervently, and conveys it with a passionate longing for the salvation of souls – proclaiming it intelligibly, wisely and concisely! God grant that the number of those who do so may become legion!
